Kwakuqala ukuba nomshado emndenini wakwaTenane, futhi uRefiloe wayengakaze ajabule kangaka ekuphileni kwakhe. "Ngizoba impelesi kaPalesa, ngizogqoka izimpahla nezicathulo ezintsha!" etshela izinkukhu zakhe.

URefiloe wayezitshela konke izinkukhu zakhe. Ubaba wakhe wayemnike lezi zinkukhu njengesipho sosuku lokuzalwa, futhi wayezithanda kakhulu.

"Khipha lezo zinkukhu ezingcolile ezimadlodlombiya lapha Refiloe!" kumemeza umama wakhe, "Angifuni nje zisondele eduze kwaleli thende lomshado."

URefiloe wabe esezikhipha izinkukhu zakhe etendeni.

"Sukani la nina ziphukuphuku," esho kuzo, "Angifuni ukuthi nidliwe emshadweni kaPalesa!"

"UMme uthi lo kuzoba umshado omuhle kunayo yonke kweyake yabonwa eMalealea," uRefiloe etshela izinkukhu zakhe, "futhi uthi ngingasiza wonke amantombazane amadala ngokupheka."


Izinkukhu azizange zimnake.

"Refiloe!" kumemeza umama wakhe ngaphakathi, "ngicela ushiye lezo zinkukhu zakho uze uzongisiza ngala mabhodwe!"

Umama kaRefiloe wayeziqhenya kakhulu ngendlu yakhe, futhi wayefuna ukuthi iwulungele kahle umshado. Wahlanza, wawasha, wakhuculula, wakhuhla futhi wapholisha yonke into eyayiphambi kwamehlo akhe.

Lapho eseqedile, kwakungekho ngisho uthuli olulodwa kuyo yonke indawo. Izinkukhu zalunguzisa amakhanda azo emnyango wangaphambili. "Phumani!" kumemeza umama kaRefiloe, "phumani nina madlodlombiya ngezinyawo nemilomo engcolile!"

URefiloe walandela izinkukhu zakhe lapho ziphuma ziya egcekeni. "UMme uqinisile, niyihlazo," esho zithethisa.

URefiloe wabe esethi ukucabanga kancane. Ngokushesha, wamoyizela futhi wakhuluma yedwa, "Nginomqondo omuhle kakhulu." Wahamba wayogcwalisa ibhakede ngamanzi avela emthonjeni.

Kwakunzima kuRefiloe ukuba abambe izinkukhu zakhe. Zazingacabangi ukuthi ukuzigeza kwakuwumqondo omuhle kangako.

URefiloe wafaka inkukhu yokuqala ebhakedeni lamanzi. Yakhala ngalo lonke iphimbo layo yabhakuzisa namaphiko ayo kakhulu. "Unganyakazi wena siphukuphuku," uRefiloe eyithethisa, "lokhu ngeke kuthathe isikhathi eside!"

Lapho uRefiloe esula ikhala namehlo enkukhu, yavele yaqhuga yabe yabe isibheka phansi ngasohlangothini lwebhakede.

"Lesi akusona isikhathi sokulala," kusho uRefiloe. Wayixukuza kakhulu ukuze ithintithe wonke amanzi. "Uma ungeke uphaphame manje, kuzodingeka ngikubeke kwenye indawo ukuze wome kahle," esho.

Walalisa izinkukhu otshanini ukuze zome. Izinkukhu zalala zathula du.

URefiloe wageza izinkukhu zakhe ngayinye ngayinye. Ngayinye yayo yayiqhuga bese ibheka phansi ngaphambi kokuba aqede ngayo. Wafaka zonke lezo zinkukhu eziyisishiyagalombili zilandelana otshanini ukuze zome. Ayikho neyodwa kuzo eyanyakazisa ngisho usiba olulodwa.

"Ngizozishiya ukuze zilale kancane," kucabanga uRefiloe, futhi wabe esehamba wayobheka umoroho.

UMme Ngwe noMme Pedi kwakungo-anti bakaRefiloe. Babengezwani nhlobo.

Kwase kuyizinyanga eziningi o-anti belungiselela umshado kaPalesa, kodwa babengakucabangi ngisho ukukucabanga ukugibela ndawonye itekisi elilodwa.

UMme Ngwe wabona izinkukhu zikaRefiloe zilele ukuze zome. "Nazi izibiliboco ezimnandi engingazithathela zona ngiye nazo ekhaya!" ekhuluma yedwa.

Wakhumula isikhafu sakhe wabe esezisonga
ngokucophelela zonke lezo zinkukhu. Ayikho neyodwa inkukhu eyanyakaza.

"Nakho-ke!" emomotheka, "manje ngizozibeka endaweni lapho uMme Pedi angeke aphinde azithole khona," wabe esebeka inyanda ngasekhoneni phakathi kwezivini zamathanga.

UMme Pedi wanquma ukupheka isidlo sakhe asiyintandokazi sethanga. Wathatha indishi yakhe enkulu wabe esephuma eya engadini yemifino.

Engadini yemifino wabona inyanda kaMme Ngwe ngaphansi komvini wethanga. Wayiqhaqha inyanda. Kwabe sekuphuma zonke izinkukhu eziyisishiyagalombili.

"Eish!" ememeza wagxumela emuva ngenxa yokumangala. "Oho, niyizinkukhu ezihlanzeke kunazo zonke, ezinhle kunazo zonke! Senilungele ukungena ebhodweni lami," ekhulumela phansi. "Manje, ngizonifihla kuphi zithandwa zami?" UMme Pedi ehlekela ngaphakathi, "Kuzodingeka ngithole indawo ekahle kakhulu," esho ehambahamba endlini.

"Ngiyazi," ekugcineni wathi, "Ngizonibeka ophahleni!"

UMme Pedi wagibela odongeni lwengadi wabe esebeka izinkukhu ngokulandelana ophahleni olufulelwe ngotshani.

Ngakusasa, ilanga laphuma ngesikhathi esikahle somshado.

URefiloe wavuka kuqala futhi wahamba wayobheka izinkukhu zakhe. Wabona ukuthi zazingasekho otshanini ezazilele kubo.

"Kufanele ukuthi sezome kahle njengamanje. Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi zihambile zayozifunela ukudla kwasekuseni," esho.

Umshado kaPalesa wawumuhle. Lezo zinkukhu azizange zisuke ophahleni ukuze ziye lapho zonke izintokazi eziyizimpelesi ezazidansa khonza zingena egcekeni.

Ayikho neyodwa inkukhu eyayigqolozele ikhwaya yesonto lapho iculela phezulu ngamaphimbo ayo, namtoti. Izinkukhu zazisalele ophahleni lapho umpristi ethula intshumayelo yakhe.

Azizange zinyakazise ngisho izinsiba lapho izingulube kanye nomkhulu kaRefiloe behona kakhulu ngesikhathi sentshumayelo.

Alukho ngisho olulodwa unyawo lwalezo zinkukhu olwathuthumela lapho izimvu zizulazula zingena etendeni, zicishe ziwisa ikhekhe lomshado.

Kwaze kwaba yilapho ubaba womkhwenyana esephakathi nenkulumo yakhe lapho izinto zaqala ukushintsha kulolo phahla.

Inkukhu yokuqala yelula amaphiko ayo yabe isindizela esifubeni sikaMme Ngwe. UMme Pedi owayeseceleni kwakhe wavele wansinsitheka.

Enye inkukhu yandizela edukwini elisha likaMme Ngwe. Abantu ababesetafuleni eliseduze bazama ukuzibamba bangahleki.

Owesifazane owayeseceleni kukaMme Ngwe wagobisela ikhanda lakhe phezu kwetafula, "Ai, aai, aaaaii, he, he, heeeeeeee!" waphubuka wahleka.

Zonke ezinye izinkukhu zanquma ukujoyina lezi ezimbili zokuqala.

Wawungeke usambona uMme Ngwe ngenxa yazo zonke lezo zinkukhu!

Izimenywa zamemeza zihleka. Amadoda ahleka aze abamba izisu zawo. Abesifazane bagingqika ezihlalweni zabo.

Abafana namantombazane babebambelela ngomunye nomunye. Ogogo babengasakwazi ngisho ukuphefumula ngenxa yokuhleka. Amakhehla ayebambelela ngezindondolo zawo.

Emva kwalokho o-anti babukana base beqala ukunsinsitheka.

UMme Pedi wavula umlomo wakhe wabe esehleka kakhulu.

UMme Ngwe wagenqula ikhanda lakhe laya emuva futhi wahleka kwaze kwavevezela izihlathi.

URefiloe akakholwanga!

Zonke izimenywa zavumelana ngokuthi kwaba ukuzijabulisa komshado okukhulu kunakho konke kokwake kwaziwa eMalealea.

"Oho ninenhlanhla!" URefiloe esho ezinkukhwini zakhe njengoba ezifaka ehokweni lazo ebusuku, "UMme uthi ngeke esanifaka ebhodweni lesidlo sakusihlwa."

"Kodwa awubheke ukuthi seningcole kanjani futhi," ezitshela, "Ngicabanga ukuthi kuzodingeka ngiphinde nginigeze kusasa!"